Insurance to Value: Homeowners Beware

The pace of existing-home sales dropped more than 8 percent from January 2008 to January 2009, reported the National Association of Realtors. Home values declined for 76 percent of all U.S. homes during 2008, estimated Zillow.com. And housing prices have fallen in 70 percent of all metro areas over the past several years, according to Moody’s Economy.com. What’s more, the rate of new-home construction during the same time was at its lowest in 50 years, noted the U.S. Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development.